119. Cleaning Your Microwave

Clean your microwave with a cup of vinegar. Simply put 1/2 a cup of distilled white vinegar and 1/2 a cup of water into a microwave-safe bowl and bring to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Then wipe the inside of the microwave clean. Any stuck on food will be loosened and odors will be gone.

Happy Cleaning!

Until Tomorrow!

118. Track Your Spending

If you really want to save some money, track your spending. Once you really know where all of your money is going, then you can work on reducing how much you are spending. Just using a small notebook works, or keeping a receipt for everything and writing it all down at night. Either way, really paying attention to the flow of cash (or card) can save you money.

Happy Tracking!

Until Tomorrow!

117. Clean Your Coffee Maker

One way to save money is to make your stuff last longer. If you are a coffee drinker, this means cleaning your coffee maker. About once a month you should clean it with a vinegar/water blend. Not only does this make your maker last longer, it also improves the flavor of your coffee. I have added instructions from WikiHow below.

http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Coffee-Maker

Happy Cleaning!

Until Tomorrow!

116. Term Life Insurance

Life insurance is one of those things that seems like a rip off, unless the insured person dies; then it is a life saver for the survivors. When you are deciding on life insurance, make sure that you take into account at what stage you are in your life. Consider who you have to support and what your projected income is. You want life insurance that will help to replace your income while your survivors recover from the loss of you. Term life insurance is the most sensible method to achieve this goal. With term life insurance, you pay for the insurance that you need at the time you need it. If you have young children, you need enough insurance to support them until adulthood.

Happy Planning!

Until Tomorrow!

115. Maintain Your Car

Regular vehicle maintenance for your vehicle can save you a bundle in the long run. I know that sometimes the individual costs can seem prohibitive, but they are cheaper than having to junk your vehicle and purchase a new one Simple maintenance service done regularly by a trusted mechanic (or by yourself) can save you money.

Happy Maintaining!

Until Tomorrow!

114. Direct Deposit

Want to save yourself some time and get access to your money as soon as possible? If so, then you should get direct deposit. This, not only keeps you from having to deal with cashing checks, but it also gets your money deposited quickly. Another positive of direct deposit is that a majority of financial institutions offer free or discounted checking if you have a regularly occurring direct deposit. Just something to keep in mind.

Happy Money Management!

Until Tomorrow!

113. Take Care of Good Leather Shoes

Sometimes if you spend a little bit more on a quality product, you actually end up saving money. This is especially true of quality leather shoes. When you purchase quality shoes and polish them regularly they will last for a very long time. Cleaning and repairing, polishing and buffing can all make your shoes last longer. Take the time to investigate the materials used to make your shoes.

Happy polishing!

Until Tomorrow!

112. Restaurants are Special Occasions

I know a lot of people who eat at restaurants all the time. This is extremely costly. Dining at restaurants should be considered a special occasion, not an everyday event. Make sure that you plan this into your budget and stick to your budget; do not dine at a restaurant that you cannot afford, make sure you check the prices before you go.

Happy Dining!

Until Tomorrow!

111. Set Yourself an Allowance

Set yourself a spending allowance. This can save you money in the long run and can help keep you from feeling deprived. If you set your allowance as part of your budget, you can spend your "allowance" any way you see fit, without guilt.

Happy Spending!

Until Tomorrow!

110. Have a Will

If you have anything of any value, make certain that you have a Last Will and Testament. Although it may cost you a little to get this done now, it will save you stress and money in the event that something happens to you. Also, make sure that family members have a will so that their wishes can be observed and so that the costs will be reduced in the event of a tragedy. Planning is extremely important.

Until Tomorrow!

109. Bundle Insurance

Generally, when you bundle your insurance policies you will receive discounts on your policies. Make sure that you have the best insurance for your needs and that your company is reputable. Having a good company can reduce your regular costs and can reduce your cost in the event of an emergency.

Happy Bundling!

Until Tomorrow!

108. Reconcile Your Bank Accounts

Take the time to track your spending and to reconcile your bank accounts. This can save you a bundle in overdraft fees and can ensure accuracy on all fronts. Banks make mistakes, too. Take a minute to manage your money; if you are trying to save money, know where your money is going is the largest part of the battle.

Happy Saving!

Until Tomorrow!

107. The Lottery

Unless you can afford to give away money, do not play the lottery. Any form of gambling should be looked at as paying for entertainment. It should never be looked at as a possible way to make money. The odds that you will win the lottery are small and do not justify the cost. If you are going to play the lottery, make sure that you can afford to spend the money on entertainment (kind of like going to see a movie).

Happy Saving!

Until Tomorrow!

106. Have Your Pets Spayed or Neutered

If you are a regular pet owner, having your pets spayed or neutered can save you a bundle. Although there is some initial cost, the savings on "puppy" cost can be substantial. There is also the cost of intact animals straying from home in search of a mate. Not only does this reduce the desire to roam, it reduces the instances of reproductive organ cancer in a number of pets. Check with your veterinarian to see if this is an option for your pet.

Happy Pet Ownership!

Until Tomorrow!

105. Slow Down

Safe and responsible driving can save you a bundle. Speeding tickets are extremely pricey on two sides. First, you have the traffic fine, these can run more than $100 depending on your speed and location. Then, you get dinged on your insurance, and this can last up to seven years (as long as the citation is on your driving record). We have conducted an experiment on speeding. The amount of time saved when speeding is not enough to effectively make a difference and if you get pulled over, you have actually added time to your trip. Slow down and drive safely, the cost is not worth it.

Safe Driving!

Until Tomorrow!

104. Car Buying Research

Whenever you are making a big money purchase, do your research. A car is one of the big money buys, where a multitude of research is available. You can do research on vehicle quality and on the individual car. If you are buying a used car, get the CarFax report and take the car to an independent mechanic prior to purchase (or as a condition of). Ensuring that you are spending your money on a quality vehicle is extremely important to saving money.

Happy Driving!

Until Tomorrow!

103. Double Check Your Tax Deductions

Before filing your taxes, double check that you are taking all of the deductions for which you are eligible. Not doing this is like giving the government extra money. You, also, do not want to take any deductions for which you are not eligible. Double check everything prior to filing.

Happy Filing!

Until Tomorrow!

102. Don't Buy "Vanity" Plates

Want to save money, do not spend extra on "Vanity" License plates. This adds a significant amount to your vehicle registration in most states. Want to save money, just go with the standard plates. Spend the extra money on a value added vehicle item.

Happy Driving!

Until Tomorrow!

101. Keep Your Vehicle

If you want to save a bundle, keep your vehicle longer. We have been 10+ year owners of most of the cars that we have purchased. If you think that you need a newer and better car every couple of years, you may be paying to much. Calculate the price of keeping the vehicle you have versus purchasing a new one. You may be surprised by what you find. Of course this requires investing in a vehicle that will last.

Happy Driving!

Until Tomorrow!

100. Brush & Floss Regularly

Save your teeth and the cost of dental repairs by brushing and flossing regularly. The best way to reduce cavities and the cost of having them filled is maintenance. Taking care of what you have is vital to reducing repair costs, your teeth are no different. My dentist had a great sign in their front office - "You don't have to brush all of your teeth, only the ones that you want to keep."

Just a thought!

Until Tomorrow!  

99. Examine Medical Bills

I have found that really examining medical bills can save a bundle. We have had the experience of a medical facility billing us for a procedure that we did not have done. We had to fight for it, but they finally reversed the $300 that they were charging us. Make sure that you review all of the medical bills that are sent to your insurance company, as well. Some insurance companies will send you a reward percentage of the amount of the error.

Happy Proofing!

Until Tomorrow!

98. Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking can save you a bundle! It can also reduce your medical expenses and the cost of your life insurance. Not to mention, the time smoking costs you if you have to exit what you are doing to move into a designated smoking area.

If you need help to quit smoking there are numerous web sites available and your doctor will also have resources for you.

Check into it, you could just save your own life!

Happy Quitting!

Until Tomorrow!

97. Loose Change Jar

Save your change in a jar! Start with whatever pocket change you have and continue to add every time you come home with change. This "spare" change adds up rather quickly and can then be used for some purchase or deposited into your savings account.

Happy Saving!

Until Tomorrow!

96. Return It

If you purchase something and the item is not satisfactory, return it. Most stores want to sell you quality items and will accept for refund or exchange an item that is not an acceptable quality. Make sure that you value quality with price and be aware that you get what you pay for. Also, if you purchase something that you end up not needing (as in a piece of a project), return it as soon as possible. This habit not only saves you money, but also keeps the clutter out of your home and out of the landfill.

Happy Shopping!

Until Tomorrow!

95 Wash & Wear

When you are purchasing clothing make sure that you check the fabric care tag prior to your purchase. Sometimes clothes that seem like a great deal will catch you in the wallet with care guidelines that cost you more than you expected. Make sure that you are also aware of the care that is required to make your clothing last longer.

Check the tag!

Until Tomorrow!

94. Check Your Inventory

So that you don't spend unnecessarily make sure that you double check your inventory before shopping. When making your shopping list, make sure that you have checked for all of your ingredients. By double checking your current stock of goods, you can save from having supplies that will outlive their usefulness and have to be tossed.

Happy Shopping!
Until Tomorrow!

93. Bring Your Own Bags

Reduce your trash by bringing your own bags to the grocery. Some stores charge a surcharge if they supply the bags so you could also reduce your store expense.

Happy shopping!
Until Tomorrow!

92. Don't Food Shop Hungry

When you are going food shopping, always eat before you go. When you are hungry, you will impulse purchase more and end up spending more money. If you spend a few minutes prior to your shopping trip to make sure that you are not hungry, then you are more likely to stick to your list and reduce your purchase of non-listed items.

Happy shopping!
Until Tomorrow!

91. Ceiling Fans

Using ceiling fans to improve cooling can save a bundle. Make sure that they are turning in the counter-clockwise direction to improve cooling.

Here is a web site for information about correctly using your ceiling fan:
     http://www.delmarfans.com/ceiling-fan-tips/ceiling-fan-direction/

Happy Cooling!

Until Tomorrow!